This is so ex-siding!

We are changing things up at Our Mountain Place!

Honey Bear House is in the process of getting new siding. The exterior of the home is in need of a little TLC, and since we're not exactly in love with the color ...




... we decided to make an improvement. Here is a (camera phone) photo of how it's coming along. We are changing it from what I like to call "Blah Yellow" to "Cypress."



We will also be adding chocolate brown gutters.

What do you think so far?

Tweetsie opens on April 13

North Carolina's oldest theme park will open its season on April 13. Go to Tweetsie's website for more info.

Other High Country events of note include the Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival in Blowing Rock (April 1-15) -- featuring New Jersey Housewife Teresa Guidice! -- and the Blowing Rock Trout Derby on April 7.

Seven Devils beer: For when six devils just isn't cutting it

Found some more about Seven Devils beer, from Olde Hickory. Funny stuff about the beer named "in honor of the poor souls who live in a part of the Blue Ridge Mountains said to be 'as cold as seven devils.'" Cold? Sometimes. Windy? You betcha.

From dontdrinkbeer.com:

My buddy Steve Kim came through and was repping his set real hard, to the extent that he dropped a North Carolina bomb on my doorstep. Even Petey Pablo wiped a tear away when he saw just how hard the block was repped. Well, here’s a style that I don’t enjoy, done by a brewery that I do enjoy. So let’s see what the net result is.


...

This beer is only 8% but it feels like something that would incapacitate me much more.

Man, I miss these sunrises

It's been a while since we have personally spent a night at Our Mountain Place. Fortunately, some good friends were able to get up there and enjoy the High Country over the weekend. They sent us this breathtaking shot from one of the mornings. I can't WAIT to get back up there. Soon ... soon.

Want some Seven Devils beer, Seven Devils people?

Again, ya gotta love Google Alerts. One about Seven Devils beer came in my inbox a couple of days ago.

Apparently Olde Hickory Brewery our of Hickory has a flavor called "Seven Devils," a Scottish ale. Some of the reviews (via Beer Advocate) laud the "same beautiful aromas you receive from the barrels used for Event Horizon are found here. Very well balanced. Some warm alcohol pokes through as well as dark malts and molasses. I also get small hints of graham crackers and raisin." Another says the beer "[A]lmost tastes like a whiskey sugar daddy dipped in apple cider."

I guess that's good?

Heads up: Seven Devils is a seasonal, meaning it may not be around long.

From Olde Hickory's website:

Our newest experiment with barrel aging. This time we brewed a delicious Scottish Ale (anyone remember our Nessie's?) and aged it in bourbon barrels.Our brew master says "It's like drinking a candy bar." Notes of chocolate, caramel, and coconut blend with the caramal and roasty maltiness typical of Scotch Ales. Available on tap and in 22oz bottles. 8% abv

Snow is good

... well, most of the time it is. I'll admit: too much of it, and it can sometimes be a little "fun" getting up to Our Mountain Place. But -- for the sake of the greater good -- the white stuff is GREAT for the High Country. Especially this time of year.

"The snowfall that started Thursday night and continued into Friday, along with lower temperatures, were especially welcome during a season that's been warmer than the past few winters," writes the Winston-Salem Journal.

"It's been a gift," said Kim Jochl, spokeswoman at Sugar Mountain Resort. "Here's 6 inches, 8 inches of snow, four days of temperatures in the teens and it's fantastic."

Skies are expected to be mostly sunny through the holiday in the Northwest North Carolina mountains, but temperatures aren't expected to climb out of the 20s today with a chance of snow flurries, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow was still falling Friday afternoon at the Beech Mountain Resort, formerly known as Ski Beech, and about 6 inches of new snow had accumulated.

Much of the mountain areas, including those at lower elevations than the ski slopes, had lighter snow accumulations, with about an inch or so.

Just late last week, ski slope operators were talking about the above-normal temperatures.

Wolf Ridge Ski Resort in Madison County didn't open until Dec. 29. It had opened on Dec. 8 last year.

"We're in an industry that is driven by the weather, and we're at its mercy," said Kathy Bogdanescu, spokeswoman for Wolf Ridge. "Last year we were lucky." ...

Brad Moretz, at Appalachian Ski Mountain near Blowing Rock, said there were enough cold days to create a good base of snow. ...

Wondering if it's snowing in the mountains? Check out a webcam

To the right of these words is a link to Ray's Weather and a couple of High Country webcams. They are all three invaluable if you are planning a trip to Seven Devils and wondering what the weather is like (or the roads, for that matter).

Well, the town of Seven Devils has added a terrific webcam to its website, http://sevendevils.net/default.aspx . The resolution is quite good. The images are in real-time (or pretty close to it), as opposed to being a snapshot that refreshes every six seconds or so. Check it out!